


Airstrike Impossible

by acowlorsomething (suchlostcreatures)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Eventual Kylo Ren/Rey, F/M, Inspired by a Trailer, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Trailer, references to star wars rumours and speculation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2020-01-15 22:25:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18508312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suchlostcreatures/pseuds/acowlorsomething
Summary: The Force has a way of bringing them together. Whether they like it or not.Set just after Rey's TIE fighter leap in The Rise of Skywalker teaser trailer. (Reylo. Slowburn.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my second take on the Rey vs Tie Silencer scene in the TROS trailer. My previous fic was from the viewpoint of that scene being a training exercise. But there are so many ways that trailer scene can be interpreted, I felt compelled to give it another shot with an entirely different scenario. This time around, I'm picking up the story from the aftermath of Rey's leap. They're not immediate allies - their feelings and tensions follow on from where they left off at the end of TLJ.

 

On Jakku, the trail of destruction that cleaved a wretched path across the desert floor would have been a welcome mat for every junker within a week’s trek.

Shattered solar panels speared the ground and glinted in the harsh desert sunlight. Buckled panels and twisted framework cut a trail a hundred feet across the sand. Two still-smouldering ion thrusters reduced the sparse surrounding vegetation to ash. A sleek black wing rested nearby like a discarded kite. Its slender design and advanced carbon armour cladding marking the vehicle as something elite. A prototype. A jackpot of high-grade military tech.

Still, all that unprecedented armouring did nothing to protect the TIE fighter from the direct strike of a lightsaber.

Rey sat atop of the rock that had torn out the Silencer’s hull on impact and pondered the worth of the experimental hardware that surrounded her in scattered pieces.

The hyper-drive half-buried in the sand had clearly been retrofitted for this craft. On Jakku, that would've been a good three months worth of portions, right there. The computer system was probably still salvageable within the almost-intact cockpit. That would've kept her going another year or so. And as for the advanced First Order weaponry system? She could have _owned_ Unkar Plutt with that. Had her Resistance comrades not sabotaged it before the starfighter took its final flight...

But this planet was not Jakku. And Rey did not start a salvage.

She sat. On her rock.

She stared. At that almost-intact cockpit.

She waited. To see what would happen next.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun tracked a lazy path across the sky. Thirst was setting up a slow, insistent tickle at the back of Rey’s throat. She touched a hand to the satchel at her side before changing her mind. It was nothing she couldn’t ignore. For now.

Perhaps the inhabitant of the cockpit was dead, she wondered. He was certainly unconscious.

She told herself to get up. To crawl in through that torn opening and check.

But she didn’t get up. Didn’t so much as flinch a muscle in the direction of a leg stretch.

She sat. On her rock.

She waited.

She was good at waiting.

 

* * *

 

 

Was that a groan? A human groan?

Or the groan of buckled wreckage settling on the desert floor?

Was it the groan of the wind as it danced across the twisted solar arrays?

No. No, it was most certainly a human groan. A groan that was mounting into a scream.

Oh, no. Not a scream. A prolonged _keen_ of seething fury. An explosion of white-knuckled frustration. A desperate wail of claustrophobic terror.

And all of it was silent. All of it thrummed through the Force like a shock-wave of grief and rage.

Rey sprang to her feet. Her cramped body trembled against the ricochet of someone else’s emotions.

He wasn’t dead. But he was in there. And he was hurt. And he was trapped. And he was going to run that red saber of his right through her at the very first opportunity.

Inwardly, Rey kicked herself for not thinking to crawl in there and confiscate it first.

 

* * *

 

 

He couldn’t reach his saber. Couldn’t call it to his trapped hands and ignite it without slicing off an important part of himself in the effort.

So he called to her instead.

Not a grovelling plead. Nor a demanding holler. His cry was a wordless whisper that brushed against her awareness. As silent as a ripple. A Force-fuelled distress beacon sent out with no real hope of receiving an answering call.

But she was there. Despite her better judgement. She had been waiting for this. This moment of decision that was now inexorably before her.

To save him, or let him die?

Even as she wriggled into that damaged cockpit, at last, unclipped his saber and ignited her own, she still wasn’t sure if she was making the right choice.

 

* * *

 

 

Later, Rey would dream of the way he flinched when she held her saber - Luke’s saber - above him. The wide-eyed shock in those deceptively gentle brown eyes would follow her into her sleep. The unnerving acceptance of her strike would be her undoing upon awakening.

But for now, the sun was sinking fast towards the horizon. And she had a cave to reach before the desert night set in and froze her to the bone.

There was no need to linger any longer at the TIE’s wreckage. Instead, she clipped two lightsabers to her belt and made her way towards the ever-expanding horizon.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**tbc...**


	2. Chapter 2

At least she reached the foothills of the mountains before night set in.

At least the harsh desert terrain had given way to thickets of vegetation and the opportunity to find water. At least she still had two full cycles to figure out exactly what she was searching for, find it, and then meet her comrades at the rally point.

At least, she thought to herself as she waited for Poe to stop speaking on his end of the comlink, she could tell him she’d taken out the TIE.

“Of course I’ve removed the threat,” Rey held the comlink with one hand and her thrumming saber to a pyramid of dry vegetation with the other. "I’m sorry Poe, I’m a bit distracted right now. Trying to start a fire. It’s fracking freezing and I’m in the middle of… nowhere…”

The brambles caught alight with a sudden whoosh and Rey jumped back. “Look, just focus on your mission, and let me focus on mine. I’ll talk to you when I have something to report.”

She shoved the comlink back into her satchel and returned her attention to the fire. And once she'd crafted the fire into a steady blaze, she returned her attention to the darkness beyond it.

She wondered if Poe would forgive her for the lie.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sleep, when it came, was fractured and uneasy.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw _him._

The look on his face as she raised the saber replayed in her mind like a broken holoprojector. She relived the array of emotions that had, in that closing moment, collided like Force-waves against her. Fear, betrayal, anger, sadness, acceptance...

He had thought she intended the strike for him.

It was his acceptance that wounded her the most.

 

 

* * *

 

By the time the first deep tangerine fingers of sunrise began to reach across the sky, Rey was already slinging her satchel over her shoulder and striking a path across the increasingly ascending terrain.

Upwards, into the rocky mountains.

Upwards, in whatever direction that Force-strong tug in her stomach led her.

The planet awoke as the sun warmed the frigid air. Scaly insects scuttled across rapidly-heating rock. Small desert-brown birds chirped to each other as they hunted them. The wind picked up speed and blew small dust tornadoes through towering rock formations. Stones and grit scattered across the path with each billowing gust until the sounds merged into a constant white noise.

The rock formations may have been different, but the desert was as familiar here as it had ever been on Jakku.

So when the sounds all came to a sudden grinding halt - when it felt as if the very universe itself was holding in a giant breath - Rey knew the moment she had simultaneously feared and longed for was finally playing out.

The Force had built a bridge between them once more.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“You destroyed my fighter.”

There was no anger in his voice. He’d followed her footsteps through the desert long enough to have worked through his emotions. Though the words tore ragged from his lips. As if he’d been screaming into the wind.

Rey swallowed her retort. If she knew anything about Kylo Ren - and she’d learnt much about the Supreme Leader this past year - screaming into the wind was probably precisely what he’d been doing. Alongside carving up what remained of his craft with his lightsaber.

Oh, except she still had that belted to her waist. How frustrating for him.

“I saved you.” She returned at last. Her gaze fixed on the Force-blurred haze of dunes at his back. Her eyes refused to acknowledge him.

“Do you think by freeing me from the wreckage, you _saved_ me?”

How wrong Rey had been when she assumed he’d worked through his emotions. His rage surged through the Force. Rolling and recoiling. Lashing her in waves. Fury. Betrayal. Abandonment. Distrust. Revenge. And between it all, the slow throbbing ache of loneliness. _Such loneliness..._

She could feel all of it envelop her. Embrace her. Smother her. Press against her until she had no choice but to sink to her knees.

“What are you doing to me?” The words hissed between grinding teeth. She cut them off before she could call him _Ben_. Ben Solo was dead. He’d made that clear in Snoke’s throne room.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She could almost imagine an edge of concern to his voice. Almost envision him stepping forward, one hand extended in concern.

But when she raised her head, he was standing tall. Unflinching. Desert dunes at his back. Wind billowing his cape around his legs. Expression impregnable. Except for every soul-torn emotion she was being assaulted by, reflecting in those damned eyes.

“Shut it off!” She cried, struggling to her feet as her own fury rose. “I don’t want this! I don’t want to feel everything you feel!”

Surprise raised his brow. “These aren’t my feelings.” He paused. Reflective. “They’re your own.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

She ground her jaw against the angry sobs that begged release. Clenched her fingers into her palms until the nails cut in. Felt the dust tornados swirl around her once more.

He had gone. But his words hung in the air. A dark force residue.

As Rey brushed ineffectively at the dirt that marred her crisp white clothes, she stared at the discoloured fabric and wondered at the symbolism.

Perhaps the dark force residue that remained was, after all, her own.

 

**tbc**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30/06/19 - This chapter has been edited to revert Pasaana to a single-biome desert planet.
> 
> I've also deleted my recent upload of Chapter Four. After many attempts at revision, I finally came to understand it needed a complete overhaul.

Rey had visited several planets in the year since leaving Jakku, and travelled many terrains. The thick, cloying boglands of Dagobah had been amidst the most challenging for her to touch down upon, and she marvelled that there was once a time when Luke himself had trained there with his Master, Yoda. But for all the challenges Dagobah presented, she’d felt a sense of well-being on the planet. The Force flowed strong and pure, and she'd perceived it even when under the most gruelling conditions a swamp planet could offer.

On this world, however, Rey observed a disarming sense of unease. And as she journeyed further from the flat desert plain and into the rocky foothills, a rolling, seething feeling of disruption coiled within her belly. The Force had led her to this place - she was sure of it. But at some point, that strange and beautiful cosmic energy - the thrum of which was still so new to her - had lead her astray. A teeny tiny voice inside her head whispered insistently that she was lost. Berated her for her foolishness. Her apparent inattention to the Force-fed nudges she’d thus far been following.

And so she sat cross-legged upon yet another rock. Eyes closed. Awareness of her surroundings blown wide as she threw out her senses in search of a reading on that strange inner beacon that had led her to this planet. This mountainside. This very path.

Somehow, she'd find her way again.

 

* * *

 

Kylo Ren toed the indiscreet pile of ash and scorched brambles before him and stared up into the foothills ahead. What game did the scavenger play, he wondered, to be so careless of her tracks?

Drawing a deep, centering breath, he focused on the threads of the Force that surrounded him. Honed his concentration until he could all but see the lingering energy of every living thing that had passed through settle like unspooled ribbon at his feet.

Above and below, the threads spun.

In and out, they fused.

Every nearby creature that crawled the parched desert floor or flew its relentless sky.

Every split stick upon the ground.

Every sun-warmed stone.

The Force wove gossamer strands within them all.

Kylo plucked at these threads. Tested each invisible string to determine which one belonged to her. He was hours behind her. Her strand but a fading imprint. But it was there. Thrumming with energy as unique as a fingerprint.

And now that he’d found it, he could find its source.

 

* * *

 

The sun tracked towards the highest point of the sky.

And then beyond it.

The only extra-sensory awareness of her surroundings, Rey had developed, was the deeply uncomfortable press of her bladder. The gravel beneath her butt cheeks. The pins and needles in her legs…

Frowning, she squeezed her eyes tighter. Inhaled deep and released a slow steadying breath. Willed her conscious to let go of the slow-burning anger and frustration that had simmered beneath her skin for the better half the day. Let go, she silently urged herself, and fracking **meditate**. For crying out loud.

The pins and needles only intensified.

Exasperation at critical levels, she stretched out her legs, climbed down from the rock and began pacing out a track in front of it.

Seemed she was too tense for meditation right now.

 

* * *

 

Rey really was lost.

There was nothing she could do but admit it. Berate herself for insisting Poe and Finn keep the holomap. Then reproach herself for being arrogant enough to think she could do this alone.

Instead, she was running out of time. Running out of time and blundering. Pushing her way deeper into the foothills as she tried to reach into the Force and find the lure that had drawn her here.

That teeny tiny voice was still whispering, but its tone has changed; no longer taunting her for her foolishness, but urging her to stop. **Stop**. Center herself. Find her calm.

Easier said than done, Rey muttered inwardly. But when she broke through a tangle of brittle desert foliage and into a narrow clearing, and the exhaustion in her limbs finally made itself known, she allowed herself to slow. To stop. To rest a palm against a pillar of chalky rock, and start mentally back-tracking in search of that damn calm.

"You're unbalanced."

The deadpan voice at her back sent a chill of shock up her spine. This was no bridging of the Force-bond, she realised with no small amount of trepidation. She’d actually wasted enough time on this wild bantha chase for Kylo Ren to stumble across her in person.

Her fingers furrowed into crumbling rock as she defied the urge to spin around on her feet.

"You," she began tersely, "you’re one to talk."

"No. Listen." The light tread of footsteps scuffed the ground behind her. Rey closed her eyes, pressed her forehead to the pillar and drew in a deep steadying breath as she sensed him directly behind her. Or rather, she sensed the intensity of him. Rolling like a thunderclap. Charging the air like lightning particles.

"You're letting your emotions get the better of you." His words, soft and measured, gave away nothing of his thoughts. "Your frustration. Your anger. Your -"

"That's rich, coming from you," she scoffed, incredulous. It was like listening to a Sarlacc accuse a Rancor of having teeth.

"Do you have any idea where you are? What you’re doing?" Kylo pressed, ignoring her rebuke as he stepped so close she could feel his breath ghost the back of her neck. "You don’t, do you?"

Rey tensed at his proximity. She would have loved to throw the answers to his stupid questions back in his arrogant face. If only she had any to give.

"I thought Luke would have taught you better."

"Luke taught me nothing." She hissed, provoked into pivoting on her heel at last. She blinked away from Ben’s - Kylo's - wide brown eyes. Disconcerting. How warm they could look. Particularly when he was standing close enough to see the flecks of ochre in their depths.

"He ordered me to leave before we reached the third lesson," she obstinately returning his gaze, "I suppose I can thank you for that."

"When I told you, you need a teacher," a muscle twitched beneath Kylo’s left eye, "I didn’t have Luke Skywalker  in mind."

He wheeled away, crossing several paces before turning back to face her, hand outstretched. For a moment, Rey froze, confused as to the invitation. Until she felt a tug at her belt and she slammed her hand against his trembling lightsaber.

"No." She bared her teeth with the effort of holding the saber in place. Reached into the Force to counter him. "You only get this back when I’ve got what I came here for, and I’m boarding my ship."

"And what _did_ you come here for?"

She blinked. Unsure of how to answer him. Mind suddenly blank of any potentially useful lie. "A weapon." She said at last. It was the truth. Possibly. There were certain gaps in the intel the Resistance had been able to gather on the exact nature of the artifact she’d been sent to find.

Kylo snorted, dropping his hand to his side. "You have no idea, do you?" For a long moment, he assessed her. "You’re just a scavenger. Playing at being a Jedi."

He left her with that. Turning away with one last scowling glance at his lightsaber before picking out a path between rock pillars and scrub and striding from sight.

Rey stood statue still in his wake. Indignant. Angry. And by this point, half-afraid he was right.

As the minutes ticked by and the anger subsided, Rey felt that small insistent inner voice kick in at last. Telling her what to do next.

And she didn't like it. Not one bit.

 

* * *

 

There was a cave somewhere ahead; Kylo Ren could sense the still, silent pocket it created in the Force when he extended his awareness. It was a place of absolute darkness. And not just because it was set so deep within a cliff crevice that the thumping desert sun had no chance of touching its entrance.

He didn’t know this cave, but he knew the Darkside thrummed strong within its walls. It was no wonder the girl was being thrown into discord. Nexus points of the Darkside had ways of disguising themselves. And protecting their own.

His senses touched upon another ripple in the Force. A now-familiar strand that seemed hell-bent on creating crossroads with his own. He sighed before slowing his pace. Chose the sun-bleached skeleton of an orbak to rest against.

"Give back the lightsaber now, and I’ll be merciful later."

 "How did you know I was tracking you?" Rey ignored the request, instead stopping to pull a flask from her satchel and trickle a few precious mouthfuls of water into her mouth.

"How could you not be? I know where I’m going. You, clearly, do not." Kylo’s eyes flickered to the flask before he blinked away. Damn the girl for destroying his TIE and making what should have been a quick stopover into a damn pilgrimage for which he had no provisions.

"At least I’m prepared for the journey." She raised an eyebrow, smothered the indignation that sharpened her tone.

"I wasn’t exactly expecting some scrap of a girl to plunge a lightsaber through my ship."

"You tried to run me down." She managed between clenched teeth.

Her ferocity was not without warrant. And suddenly he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. At the fact they were even standing here discussing it.

"Yeah, I did." He pressed his lips against the sudden threat of a smile. Perhaps, he idly wondered, the dehydration was getting to him.

"Guess we’re even then."

When he looked up, she was holding something in an outstretched hand towards him. Something that glinted as it captured the late afternoon sunlight.

He only hesitated for the skip of a heartbeat before accepting the water flask.

This time, the smile slipped through.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Some small, fragile truce had been struck, following the sharing of a water flask. Fragile, in that neither would turn their back on the other.

Kylo Ren took the lead a step ahead of Rey, who kept one hand firm on the crossguard lightsaber at her belt. Collateral.

She wasn’t sure what to make of Kylo’s presence at her side. Since the Battle of Crait she’d sensed him from time to time. The feather soft brush of his conscience against hers - a fragile thing that would peter out before she could think whether it should be broken or preserved. The echo of his rage - brittle and savage. The melancholic ache of his loneliness. And a tangled volley of emotions she had no wish to put a name to.

Now, she only knew that for all his volatile intensity and allegiance to the darkside, the Force had whispered in her mind; urging her to seek him out. There were unspoken things - hurtful, hateful things - that lay like poisoned barbs between them. But for the time being, they were meant to be sharing this liminal space. She was sure of it.

What that signified, she had no inclination to explore. The only tangible surety was that this ceasefire between them couldn’t last.

They sought the same thing, after all.

 

* * *

 

 

 Slowly the landscape changed as the tumble of desert foothills ascended towards the steep rocky mountain range. Rey wondered how Kylo could be so familiar with which direction to take, when he hadn’t once stopped to refer to a holomap.

"How do you know where to find this…"

" _Weapon?_ " Kylo finished with the twist of a smile that grew as she scowled in return.

"I’m the Supreme Leader, remember?" It was a statement rather than a boast, though it rankled Rey all the same. "The real enigma is, how did the moth-eaten collection of outlaws you call the Resistance learn of it?"

"Surely you don’t think me naïve enough to share our sources?"

"Perhaps you should," he snorted, "clearly your intel is unreliable if you’ve come to this outer rim dustball with no idea of where to look."

“The problem isn’t that our intel was unreliable,” Rey said after several moments of silent reflection, “it was incomplete. Our source was silenced before they could pass on all they knew. We had to act fast with what we had.”

“So you just came here in the hope the Force would lead you to the right location like some great cosmic homing beacon?” Kylo stopped and turned, regarding her with a level of amusement that made her flush with indignation.

“Something like that,” she replied tersely, meeting his gaze with a savage glare.

“The Force doesn’t work that way,” he stated, turning away.

“It has so far, hasn’t it?”

The darksider stopped in his tracks, staring into the distance before turning to confront her again.

“You think the Force has brought us together?” he asked incredulously. “The Light and the Dark, rising to meet some greater threat to the galaxy…” an eyebrow rose with exaggerated scepticism. “Together?”

“Of course not,” she said brusquely, resting against a slab of rock, “that would require one of us to concede to the other.”

“But you believe this will happen, don’t you? You can admit it.” Tone softened, Kylo held her gaze; his eyes wide and doe-like in a way that made Rey's own narrow with suspicion.

“No.”

“Yes! Admit it!” Stalking closer, Kylo's intensity loomed as if it held its own shadow. “You’ve come to this planet on little more than a hunch, and now recent circumstances - orchestrated by you by the way - have led us both to wander this same dry slice of paradise with little to rely on but ourselves. And dare I say, each other!”

“I orchestrated nothing!” Rey protested, “the Resistance simply saw an opportunity to decommission your starfighter’s weaponry system and --”

“Now you’re changing the subject,” he interrupted, holding up one hand. The hint of a smile twitched his lips as he paused to put further thought into his theory. “You believe the Force compels me to lead you to a relic we both seek. And you believe it will be you the Force favours when it comes time for one of us to leave the planet with it in hand.”

“You said the Force doesn’t work that way, but you’re wrong.” Rey said suddenly, redirecting the conversation to his earlier statement. “I can feel something here. The deeper we trek into this mountain. Don’t you?”

“I do,” he admitted quietly. After a beat.

She held Kylo’s gaze for several moments, and wondered who would be the first to elaborate. 

“But what if I’m not leading you to an old relic at all?” Kylo continued, clearly reluctant to drop his musings, “what if I’m simply leading you up this mountain, so that I might throw you off it? Leaving me free to continue my mission, alone and unhampered by the likes of a half-starved desert rat such as your--”

“You’re right. Of course. Clearly it’s not some Force-fuelled fate that brought us together, but rather the profound enjoyment of each other's company.” Rey quipped dryly, taking a swig from the water flask before handing it to him. “And because of that, you won’t dare throw me off a mountain.”

Something raw and unfettered broke through the careful control of Kylo’s expression then. She blinked away from his gaze; alarm rising as a heated flush worked its way beneath her skin in answer to it. It seemed suddenly that her words had only served to throw herself further into a depth she couldn’t tread. Wouldn’t tread.

Taking a deep breath, Rey forced her tone to harden. “We journey together, purely because I still have your lightsaber clipped on my belt. And after what happened to Luke’s, you won’t risk breaking yet another one by trying to take it from me.” 

She paused then, watching the way the darksider’s eyes flicked from her face to her belt. And how his fingers flexed as if considering his options. 

“We both want the relic, yes,” she continued quickly, hands sliding to both hilts, “and once we find it, you’ll have to choose which you want to keep. Because you're not leaving with both.”

“But I _will_ have both,” he stated flatly. Eyes cold. The fragile camaraderie dissolving in one volatile instant.

“Well, good luck with that.” Inwardly Rey kicked herself, wishing she could have held her tongue - and that camaraderie - a little longer.

“You forget, Jedi ,” the word hissed through Kylo's teeth in a flare of anger. He turned and continued on their path before throwing over his shoulder, “at some point, you’ll need to sleep.”

* * *

 

 

The ever-forking paths through the foothills eventually led into a singular thread. They followed it in uneasy silence. Tracing their way between high rock pillars that jutted towards the sky; blocking the last vestiges of sunlight so that the narrow shuttered landscape was cast in a heavy gloom.

Ignoring the chill and bone-weary exhaustion that leadened her body, Rey pressed onwards. The decision to rest uneasily until dawn or blunder through the darkness was one she would rather stave off for as long as possible. Neither option was appealing, with the mercurial ‘Supreme Leader’ Kylo Ren at her side.

“It would be wise to rest for the night.” The darksider interrupted Rey’s musings as if reading them. She recoiled at the thought.

“No,” she increased her pace, gritting her teeth against the aching protest of her legs. “I don’t have time to waste on rest.”

“Ah yes, you’ll be eager to get back to the traitor,” he said cooly, “and the thief.”

Was that jealousy that pulled Kylo’s lips into a sneer as he turned his head away? Ridiculous, Rey told herself. He was baiting her. Hoping she might give away something he could use against the Resistance. Who had helped her. How many of the Resistance remained. She gritted her teeth and gave away nothing.

But, after all, she couldn’t help herself from one small satisfaction. "Yes. I am."

It was, she told herself hotly, vehemently satisfying to let Kylo know she had no intention of remaining at his side for much longer. Not after his ridiculous outburst proved to remind her of how unstable he was. She could only feel a burning shame at how easily she'd allowed herself to forget.

Silence. Thick and brooding. Fell between them once more.

 

* * *

 

"Two chemlights. Six ration bars. Make that four, now. I suppose. And we’ll need to refill that flask before long."

Rey bit her lip as she buckled her satchel and slung it back over her shoulder. Swallowed the anxiety that pressed upon her at the thought of having to share what little food she had. By this time tomorrow, she reminded herself, she’d be back onboard the Falcon. Eating something more palatable than a ration bar.

Knowing this still didn’t quell the fear of being forced to go hungry. Perhaps nothing ever would.

Kylo met her inventory with careful silence and neutral expression. Nothing to indicate he could sense her concerns. Perhaps, she thought, her face wasn’t as easy to read as his. She wasn’t sure - had never much studied her own reflection. Or perhaps - and this option was the more likely one she was sure - he just didn’t care.

Snapping a chemlight to activate the phosphorescent within its clear tube, Rey threw a ration bar in his direction - before she could change her mind. The other, she tore open with her teeth. Ate half of the gritty, moist bar without tasting it. Took a swig from the flask. Stalled. Stalled.

Stalled the inevitable conversation she could sense readying for another round.

"We can go no further until sunrise."

There it was, Rey sighed inwardly.

"Speak for yourself," she ignored the pull of aching muscles as she pushed herself to stand. "I’ve rested enough."

"You’re practically dead on your feet." Kylo rose to intercept her. "And you have no idea what’s out there in the darkness."

"You mean to tell me there’s something worse than you?"

"We’ll rest here," he continued tightly, ignoring her retort with clenched jaw. "A few hours at least - "

 "No. I’m leaving now." Rey moved to step past him. He moved to block.

"Why? Is it what I said before?" Kylo ducked his head slightly, catching Rey’s gaze with his own. "I was just --"

“Behaving like an ass because you couldn’t get your own way?” Rey finished sweetly, “Yes. I noticed. And I must thank you for it, actually. I’d almost been at risk of finding you tolerable.”

"Come on. _Rey_." Her name slipped over his lips like a plea. "There’s no sense in stumbling off a cliff just for spite. I can take the first watch."

 "No." Obstinate, despite the logic of his argument, she sidestepped to her left.

He moved to his right.

 "Or you can, if you prefer." His hands rose to grip her by the shoulders. And fell away just as awkwardly.

Surprised, Rey studied Kylo’s face, searching for a clue of his motives. Beneath the chemlight’s steady glow, he was all shadows and sharp angles. Determination had set his soft eyes hard as flint. His full lips pressed into a thin, serious line.

It was easier, Rey decided, to see him reflected in torchlight. Easier to remember who he was - rather than who she may have wanted him to be.

"What I prefer," she began in a slow, tempered voice, "is for you to get out of my way."

The darksider regarded her for several moments longer. Nothing but an eye-twitch to give away the array of emotions waging war beneath the surface of his poker-faced stare.

"Suit yourself." He snapped at last, stepping to one side. "You won’t find it alone. You’ll need me."

Rey snorted. Wondered if Kylo was trying to reassure her or himself. "I think you’ll find I won’t."

Stepping past him, Rey swept the chemlight before her to gauge her surroundings. To the left, a sheer tumbled cliff face formed a natural blockade. To the right, the thread of their path continued. Unhampered by Kylo’s protests, she stepped towards the path and continued her ascension of the rocky mountainside. Alone.

 

* * *

 

 

Kylo dug his gloved fingers uselessly into his palms until the scuff of Rey’s footsteps faded. Rage pushed a flush of heat to his skin and twisted his stomach into knots. He wanted to call his saber to his hand and decimate his surroundings. To let fly the darkness within him until exhaustion drove him to his knees.

His fingers twitched with the effort to hold himself together, and he curled his fists tighter.

Tighter.

Until his nails bit into the leather and his rage, restrained and impotent, smashed a useless rhythm against his chest with every heartbeat.

Slowly, slowly, Kylo talked himself down from his furor. Reminded himself that it had always been his destiny to walk alone. As it had been so for his grandfather.

Besides, he’d never planned to accompany the scavenger through to the end. They both had every intention to leave this planet with the same object in their possession. And realistically, only one could succeed.

Strategically, it made more sense to let the girl wander lost and alone. Better for him if she should stumble through a network of useless trails until thirst and exhaustion overcame her. Her comrades would rescue her soon enough.

Or they wouldn’t.

Either way, he would be long gone and celebrating his success. 

Except.

Except for one thing.

Kylo groaned and sank to his knees.

Except that he’d let her go. With his damned saber still at her side.

 

  **tbc**

* * *

 _ **Chapter end note:**_   _Like it? Hate it? Interested in reading more? Please leave a comment and let me know if you think it worth continuing! (Or not?)_

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Send in a squadron. Find Rey. She’s our only hope.”
> 
> “And if we find Ren?”
> 
> “When you find...” _my son_ , Leia's heart whispered. But the words stayed lodged in her throat. She swallowed hard, clenching against the tears that seared her eyes. “You have permission to shoot on sight.”
> 
> \------
> 
> I promise Rey won't spend her _entire time_ in this chapter wandering lost. :D

Kylo didn’t pursue the girl straight away. Despite every instinct within him urging otherwise. It seemed better to let her get a headstart. To give her some time to cool off. Regret her actions. Possibly hope for him to follow.

Why she even thought it best to leave him in the first place, was beyond his comprehension. Did she suppose the Force would cleave open a secret entrance to a hidden vault, just for her? Was she expecting the fabled Force Ghost of Master Yoda himself to pop out from behind a rock and show her the way?

Did she think herself so important? So pivotal to a story she was never meant to be a part of?

Agitated, Kylo paced the boulder-scattered clearing where they’d stopped to rest. His limited patience was already stretched thin by the sheer fact that he was in this situation, and his fingers ached for the reassurance of his saber’s cool hilt. 

He had been foolish, to let the girl carry it for so long. To allow her to think she held something over him. Was he so needy for companionship that he would keep a scavenger at his side? Was he so weak of mind that he would ally himself with a _Jedi_?

In the serpentine echo of Snoke’s voice, Kylo Ren berated himself. Fists clenching and unclenching as his growing rage caused the boulders themselves to tremble, sending stones scattering down the mountainside.

He played these foolish games, rubbing shoulders with the enemy, when in truth he should have eliminated her already. Not since Snoke’s throne room had a better opportunity been so well presented.

And again, he had let his weakness reign.

Fighting for calm, Kylo reached out with the Force, feeling for the thread of the Jedi’s presence amidst a cobweb of indiscernible threads. As with the last time, she wasn’t hard to find. Her energy was practically a beacon; the brilliance of which called to him, beckoning him to follow. And he did. Knowing that without saber or glowstick to light the path, he’d never find a way through the darkness otherwise.

The irony of such symbolism wasn’t lost on him. 

 

* * *

 

 

Surely, Rey couldn’t be lost again. Surely.

She was on _one_ rocky mountainside. Climbing _one_ trail. One _singular_ trail. To her left, irregular boulders gave way only on occasion to unknown patches of darkness. To her right, the mountainside banked towards a sheer drop. The odds of becoming lost in such circumstances was…

Rey stopped herself when she realised she’d begun thinking in C3P0’s voice.

Taking a slow deep breath, she stopped and fumbled through her satchel for the flask. Her mouth felt chalky and the water, though brackish, gave her a momentary boost as she shook off the fatigue and stretched the aches from her legs.

Shoving the bottle back in her bag, her mind slid to Kylo. She’d freed him from his ruined TIE only to leave him in the darkness with nothing but a ration bar. Without even his lightsaber to provide light or protect himself should the need arise.

But it wasn't his abandonment that concerned her. It was that she was still allowing herself to care.

Kylo Ren was unstable. Destructive. A deeply unhinged murderer. And as leader of the First Order, he was the pinnacle definition of ‘enemy’ for crying out loud… 

But despite all, there was still light in him, a small voice inside herself urged. She could feel it in the very flayed-open center of her soul.

Clamping her jaw down on the stupid silent voice, Rey continued pressing forward. As long as she could keep moving, she figured she’d stay well ahead of the volatile _Supreme Leader._ Though with the limited range of her chemlight playing tricks on her perspective, the trail that seemed so obvious when she travelled it with Kylo, now hardly seemed a singular trail at all. 

You’re doing okay, Rey. She told herself in a third-person voice that sounded in her mind like an amalgamation of Luke and Han’s.  The Force guided you here. Just follow your instincts.

Fine words. Except, she was seriously questioning those instincts. Especially when said instincts told her she should have stayed with _Kylo kriffing Ren_. 

Inwardly she kicked herself for being so stubborn. Why _had_ she insisted on pressing on? Because agreeing to anything he suggested felt like a betrayal to her own cause? No. She knew her own mind. Her own strength. Leaving him was, she knew, little more than a ridiculous act of spite. Especially now that the trail had steepened and grown more treacherous, and the wind buffered her in earnest so that she had to close her eyes against the grit that struck her as it did so.

Kylo had been right. She should’ve stopped to rest until dawn. No doubt he was still where she left him.  Wrapped up in his cape and sleeping. Waiting for the sun’s first rays to spear across the horizon. And he would catch up with her soon enough after that. Well-rested as opposed to the state she would be in after a night of sleepless wandering. 

That mental image was the last straw. Stepping away from the sparse trail, Rey scoped about for a nook to take shelter in. Beyond the yellow phosphorus glow of the chemlight, the darkness splintered into different shades of charcoal. The outline of a rocky outcrop looked promising, and she made her way towards it; cautious of the stones that scattered beneath her soles and clattered away into the darkness below.  

 

* * *

 

In the cimmerian gloom of the desert mountain range, where the thick scatter of distant stars offered cold comfort in lieu of light, Kylo followed the thread of Rey’s Force signature as if it were a guide rope, his mind so focused on the grim determination of placing one foot ahead of the other and not stepping off a precipice, he had no time for rage.

Stretching out a little more with the Force, he attempted to skim some kind of reading of the girl’s intentions. Was she really so determined to wander blindly through the night? He didn’t pick her to be foolish. But foolishly stubborn? Yes.

At such a distance, he couldn’t get a fix on her thoughts or emotions. But the soft background hum of the Force trilled suddenly as a new thread entered his spectrum of awareness. 

There was someone else on this mountainside.

Someone who was moving to intersect the Jedi from a side trail to her left. The reverberation of the newcomer's Force signature punctured Kylo’s senses and stopped him in his tracks. The recognition of who it belonged to made him start up again. Faster. 

Ventar.

Of all the Knights in range of his downed TIE’s emergency beacon, Kylo hadn’t anticipated Ventar Ren to answer the call. Or locate him so eagerly. 

Once regarded as Kylo’s second-in-command, Ventar Ren had grown increasingly driven for power and status, until his ego had finally outgrown his worth. Kylo had hoped that by sending him on a fruitless quest to the Unknown Regions, he’d be free of Ventar’s increasingly strained presence. But the Knight’s recent return had proved to be not-so-fruitless after all. And he was all too happy to remind Kylo of this.

Cold warning prickled at the back of his neck. The Knight’s presence here, in this vicinity, seemed too convenient. Which begged the question: Was it coincidence that set Ventar on a path towards the Jedi? Or had he sensed another Force-sensitive, and chosen to intercept?

Breaking into a half-jog as he ascended the trail, Kylo’s mind raced as he thought of what it would mean if Ventar found the Jedi in possession of his own distinct lightsaber. Already his Knights grew restless as they sensed his conflict. If they suspected he was working alongside the very Resistance hero they believed to have murdered Snoke… He’d never be able to prevent their mutiny. Not when he had already sensed a shift in their allegiance since their return from the Outer Regions.

And Ventar Ren was closing in. Kylo could feel the vibration of the Knight’s presence course along his own nerves. 

Soon the Knight would intercept the Jedi. 

He wouldn’t reach her in time.

Their threads were on a collision course, and he was too far to stop it.

Reaching deeper into the Force, Kylo sought to prise open the bond that had never responded to his whim before. If he could convince the girl she was in danger… If he could warn her to hide… If he could just buy enough time to send Ventar away…

_One step. Scattering rocks. Another step. Heart pounding. She could sense a presence nearby. Beyond the glow of her chemlight…_

Teeth clenched with determination, Kylo squeezed his eyes shut and _pushed_. He could all but feel the cracks in the invisible barrier. The darkness fractured. The light of her shone through. But not enough. Still, he reached…

 _“Ben?_ ”

Kylo stumbled as the name speared through him. Rallying against it, his eyes opened with a snap. 

The Jedi was there before him, but the bond wasn’t as it once was. The image superimposing his surroundings was disjointed; like a corrupt holovid. 

He swallowed hard. The bond wasn’t what it once was - but perhaps it was enough.

 

* * *

 

 

As Rey drew closer to the outcrop, the outline of it changed. Dissipating into nothing so that there was only one tone of darkness before her. And it was absolute. 

Shuddering against the cold, she stopped. Confused by what her eyes were showing - or rather, not showing her. The wind rose in a sudden tempest, buffering her with enough force to shunt her forward. Caught off-guard, she stumbled. Towards what she could now see as a precipice. 

Without thinking, she gathered the Force up around herself, using it to slow her momentum so that she could regain her balance. Time seemed to slow as she corrected herself and regained her footing. In that same moment, the familiar feeling of being drawn into a vacuum closed in around her. The Force Bond was opening.

_Ben._

She swallowed the name before it could slip from her lips. Sighing at the timing of it, Rey sought to clamp her mind shut. To squeeze Kylo Ren out. She just wanted to find somewhere to rest. And take respite from this damn wind.

The soundless stillness persisted. 

“Fine.” Rey muttered into the gloom, resolving herself to this unwanted tether as she turned on her heel to seek Kylo out. "You win."

“You win, Kylo!” She called louder this time. “You were right.”

Silence was the only response. And then as the hairs on her neck began to stand with warning, a hooded outline loomed suddenly before her, taking her by surprise so that she stepped back.

Into that nothingness she had so-recently saved herself from.

Arms pinwheeling uselessly, Rey pitched backwards. For a moment a gloved hand seemed to reach for her, and she grabbed at it uselessly. Her heart leaping to her throat as her fingers slipped through. Then it was gone, and she was tumbling backwards into that fathomless black.

 

* * *

 

 

_The thrust of hands. Arms pinwheeling into darkness. A scream. Pitched and full of foreboding._

“No!” The cry snapped and tore free. The pressure of it spearing through the back of his eyeballs like pinpoints of brilliant heat.

He pushed every last shred of his will into the Force and reached out into the darkness, grabbing for those flailing arms. The air sucked from his lungs like a vacuum. Sounds popped. Time slowed and shifted like silt. A fold of cloth seemed to brush his fingers and he clutched wildly, barely daring to hope he might find actually purchase through the bond. 

And then his fingers snagged the fabric. And held.

 

* * *

 

 

“Can anyone speak Chewbacca? I repeat, can anyone speak Chewbacca!”

The frantic plea tore through the comlink as a series of guttural wails sounded in the background. 

Communications officer, Taslin Brance, pulled his headset away with a wince and glanced across the makeshift command center in search of assistance. He caught the gaze of General Leia Organa, who was already rolling her eyes as she clasped Lieutenant Connix on the shoulder and excused her with a nod. 

“Yes, I can _understand_ Chewbacca, Finn.” She bit back a smile as she took the headset from Brance’s grateful hands. “Though perhaps we need to get you up to speed on Shyriiwook if you’re going to continue being partnered together.”

“General, we have a problem.” It was Poe’s voice now. Lacking the sheer panic of Finn’s but with a definite edge of concern all the same.  “We’ve been unable to establish contact with Rey in over twenty-four hours.”

“That’s it? That’s what all the fuss is about?” Leia chuckled. “Clearly you boys --”

“There’s one more thing.” Poe interrupted. “We found the wreckage of a TIE.”

Leia caught her breath and held it in her lungs. She could see the shape of his next words forming inside her head. “Go on.”

“We believe it to be the prototype used by Kylo Ren.”

Nodding to herself, Leia closed her eyes and gripped the table corner. “Is he,” she swallowed hard. If they weren’t sure, that could only mean… “You didn’t find a body?” 

“No ma’am.” Poe replied softly. “Not so far. Thing is, that ship was sliced open by a lightsaber. We know there was a First Order presence on Paasana. Rey told us in her last communication that she’d taken care of the threat. But if Kylo Ren survived… Well, he could be the reason why we’ve lost contact with our Jedi.”

Leia caught her breath at the implication in his voice. A memory of her son’s rage on the salt flats of Crait replayed behind her eyelids. She hadn’t heard the violent oaths he’d sworn to Luke before attempting to cleave his uncle in half, but she’d sensed the venom. The intent.

Every cell in her body longed for the return of her son. But if she was honest with herself, she’d half-hoped Poe would tell her his body had been found in the downed craft. At least then she could pretend… Well, it would be kinder. Kinder than what would have to come next.

“Send in a squadron. Find Rey. She’s our only hope.”

“And if we find Ren?”

“When you find...” _my son_ , her heart whispered. But the words stayed lodged in her throat. She swallowed hard, clenching against the tears that seared her eyes. “You have permission to shoot on sight.”

Leia dropped the comlink to the table without hearing Poe’s reply. But Chewie’s rage continued to blast across the airwaves. He was as tormented by Ben’s betrayal as she. Han had been like a brother to the Wookie. Ben, a nephew. Senseless murder did not exist within his culture. 

But the honorable killing of a loved one who had brought disgrace to the family… That _was_ something that existed within his culture. It was something he could understand, albeit unwillingly. It was for that reason, and in respect to Han, Chewie was determined that if anyone should take down Ben Solo, it would be him.

This was the anguished oath that Leia could not bring herself to translate to Finn.

Sinking to a chair, the General pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart seemed to beat impossibly against its bone cage. As if seeking escape. Slowly she breathed. Willing it to calm. Willing it to hold on longer. Whatever terrible darkness was bearing down upon them… She had to see it through.

For the memory of Han. And of their lost son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm hopeless at coming up with an original thought, I searched the interwebs for any clue as to the names or name theories for the Knights of Ren, and decided to borrow from [this reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/starwarsspeculation/comments/b7p9v3/the_knight_of_ren_naming_convention/).  
> I was going to use [this list](https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1091882/Star-Wars-9-leaks-Knights-of-Ren-NAMES-Kylo-Luke-Skywalker-Episode-IX-trailer-date), and go with the name Kato, but I'm saving that guy for later in the story...
> 
> Mild spoiler (not really a spoiler?):  
> [Paasana](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Pasaana) is the canon name of the desert planet shown in the IX trailer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually sit on a finished chapter for ages before posting - long enough so I can reread it with fresh eyes in the hope of identifying mistakes before it goes live (because otherwise, you can guarantee I'll see the plot holes and punctuation errors afterwards and come back to tweak things. You know, after people have read it, anyway. Typical.)
> 
> This time, I'm just going to post the damn thing because I'm also TRYING to get the chapters out faster. And it seems I can't have it both ways. This chapter is shorter than recent ones, but I'm already working on part 7. Hope you enjoy. :)

Fisting his hand into the cloth, Kylo ignored the question of  _how_ this was happening and  _pulled_.

A cry that was as much of rage as it was fear came from somewhere within the folds of fabric that still dangled over the precipice, and as he hauled the Rey-sized bundle upwards, an arm shot out towards him; the slender hand clasping his forearm with a ferocious grip as if he were the one last lifeline on offer.

His throat tightened at the realisation that he was.

"What are you doing?"

Ventar Ren, Kylo's senses told him as he set the girl upon her feet, though it was hardly a surprise. But there was something off about the modulated voice at his back that caused a chill of warning to bolt up his spine. Ignoring the question, he studied the way the girl's eyes widened in a terrible kind of recognition before he turned to confront the Knight.

And then he blinked at the mask that faced him.

It was  _his_ mask.

"Ventar. I'm so glad you located me." The deadpan delivery was excellent. Still, it was almost more a test than he could handle, to step forward and ignore what his eyes were showing him. Kylo's fingers ached to ignite his saber and run it through the traitor, but he resisted the urge to snap it from the Jedi's belt. Not yet. "I assume you have my shuttle ready?"

"I have your shuttle, yes." There was a certain element of smugness in the Knight's reply that left no wonder at the implication behind his words. The fact that he wore his Master's broken helmet - now repaired with veins of red through the scars of its damage - was telling enough. Ventar Ren had stepped up to replace him as Master of the Knights of Ren. And the fool had no fear in showing it.

"News of my accident has caused you to take my place so soon?"

The Knight threw his arms out in a shrug as if to imply he had no part in exaggerating the extent of the Silencer's damage. Kylo adjusted his position, keeping himself between the traitor and the girl. One, he had need of yet. The other, he was going to kill. He couldn't let them at each other before he'd quite decided which.

"And I assume Hux has now taken up the mantle of Supreme Leader?"

"Only temporarily, of course." Even through the modulator, the Knight's voice was as slippery as a dianoga's tentacle. "The First Order will rest easy of course, once they know you will be returning to them."

"I'm sure they will." Kylo's lips pressed together in a grim smile. Ventar Ren was as good a liar as a doped out spice merchant. It was all he could do to not roll his eyes.

"And the Jedi." Stepping closer, the Knight's helmeted face looked the girl up and down with pointed exaggeration. With a quick motion of his hand, a vibroblade slipped into his palm. He flicked it through his fingers before pointing it at the girl. "I will enjoy making Snoke's killer suffer."

The hiss of an ignited lightsaber at his back caused Kylo to bite against the tug of a wider smile. The girl would never allow herself to be taken alive. The Knight wouldn't leave with anything less than her blood on his hands. In another time or place, it would have been an interesting battle.

"As entertaining as it sounds, it's time we take our leave." Glancing to the girl at his back, Kylo's breath caught to see Rey standing in a combat stance with  _both_ sabers lit and ready. The blue held in strike position behind her, the red before her.

His eyes rested upon hers for just a moment; taking in the wild fury reflected in the crimson glow of his saber with an admiration that made his cheeks burn. "Besides," he swallowed at the effort it took to drag his attention back to Ventar Ren, "she's not the one who killed Snoke."

"What do you mea-"

The boom of a starfighter punching into the stratosphere caused Ventar's attention to shift towards the sky.

Kylo was surprised the Knight hadn't sensed the Resistance fighter's thread in the Force several minutes ago. Perhaps he had been too distracted by his own ego. Fortunately, Kylo hadn't.

Taking advantage of the traitor's inattention, Kylo snapped his hand towards Rey, calling his saber to his palm and thrusting it into the Knight's stomach before half retracting it and driving it back up into his chest. So fast, the traitor barely had a wide-eyed chance to register who had buried the weapon in his torso before his heart was cauterised.

Thumbing off the switch, Kylo stood back as the body collapsed to the ground and pondered its remains for a moment before igniting the weapon once more and slashing it across the visor of the helmet.

"Come on." The starfighter would be upon them any moment now. Grabbing Rey's arm, he half-towed her behind him as he held the saber before them; it's unstable blade casting crimson light onto their nearest surroundings as he picked out a path through the tumbled rocks and made his way towards the deep dark cleft of a cliff-face.

"What are you… Let me go!" Wrenching her arm away, Rey stopped in her tracks. Realising that her allies were coming for her, Kylo thought bitterly. Empty fingers now balling into his palm, Kylo turned back towards the girl and fought to contain his frustration.

"Why are you stopping? There's no place for them in this story."The words snapped from his mouth like a whip. Hot and furious. He couldn't keep a lid on it; couldn't help himself. This was Snoke's throne room all over again. "Only you and me."

It was futile. Trying to convince her. He could tell by the way she hovered on her back foot. Saber still ignited. Ready to turn and run in an instant.

"How did you reach me?" Her tone was passionate with both accusation and disbelief, and it faltered as she continued,"how did you know to save me? And why?  _Why_ did you save me?"

"What?" Kylo blinked. There was no time to discuss this now. Not with an X-wing - piloted by the Ace, Poe Dameron, he sensed - bearing down upon them.

Pausing to sweep his gaze over her bedraggled form, something about the plea in her eyes quelled his rage. Scrubbing a hand across his face, Kylo suddenly understood. Rey was poised on yet another precipice. And what he said next would determine which way she fell. "The bond, Rey. It opened up when I sensed your distress through the Force, and somehow I pushed myself through."

"You pushed..."

"Do you not realise by now that I care for you?" It hurt him to say the words aloud almost as much as it hurt to realise he wasn't saying it just to appease her. "Please, Rey. I know you have no reason to trust me…"

"I do." She said quickly, glancing to the sky behind him and extinguishing her blade. "I do trust you."

Swallowing whatever words he intended to say next, Kylo stared. Uncomprehending. "You do?"

"Of course." She stepped towards him. Hazel eyes gleaming in the darkness. "You pushed yourself  _through the Force._  To save me. You cut down one of your own.  _To save me_."

"Yeah, I did do those things, didn't I?" he half-murmured before blinking away. The urge to put up his defences - to backtrack his former words and tell her he'd actually come to save his lightsaber, was strong. He fought it. Swallowing hard. His mouth as dry as dust as he croaked, "so you'll come with me."

It was a demand, not a plea. He had to work on that, damn it. Stepping forward to narrow the gap between them, Kylo reached his hand towards Rey's own before pulling it back into a clenched fist. She had rejected him so many times now…

"I'll do it." She said suddenly, earnestly, stepping in and clasping a hand around his tense knuckles. "I'll come with you."

Through the leather of his glove, he could feel the heat of her seep into his skin like a balm. The strange tingle he felt at the base of his neck when the Force Bond opened between them was thrumming like a tuning fork. It had, he realised now, been doing so all along.

"Rey, do you feel…" He frowned, disbelieving his own senses.

A sharp joust of warning roused him from the strange heady feeling as a nearby rock exploded into pieces. A high-pitched 'pew' seared the air above him before another rock exploded.

"Your friend's shooting at us!" Turning his hand to catch Rey's hand with his own, Kylo turned and stumbled towards the cleft in the cliff he'd been heading towards earlier. To his relief, Rey made no effort to pull away; instead tightening her grip in his palm and extending her strides to match his pace.

"He thinks I've joined you!" She cried as they ran headlong in the darkness towards a mountainous peak of deeper darkness.

"Didn't you just agree to j-"

Another laser bolt tore past, so close Kylo felt the heat of it sear the air. The pilot was aiming for him specifically, he realised. Cocky move given that a little too far to the right and he'd be blasting his own Jedi.

A second later - too fast for either of them to stop their headlong plight -a third blast struck the ground in front of them, causing the terrain to disappear into a sinkhole.

Taking Kylo and Rey with it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It really irks me when people post a chapter, but precurse it with a note explaining how they haven't proof-read it yet. One should always proof a chapter before posting! It's the RULE! In saying that... I'm sorry. My tired eyes have scanned this chapter too much to see the words anymore. I'm leaving it to you to point out my mistakes. Go on. The world's your oyster.

Kylo gritted his teeth as the sharp, insistent throb of a headache pulled him from unconsciousness. Blinking away the powdered grit that caught his eyelashes, he pushed himself to his knees and peered up towards the sinkhole's opening.

The night had passed. Sunlight speared the ragged fissure, fracturing against multifaceted chunks of rock that glinted with crystalline veins. Still-settling dust swirled through rays of golden light before drifting into long deep shadows.

"Rey?" The name croaked from Kylo's powder-coated throat. "Rey?"

Throwing out his senses, he searched through the Force for traces of the girl as worry began to pool at the pit of his stomach. The thread of her signature lit suddenly in his peripheral as the scuff of a boot struck gravel. He pivoted as a body slammed into him, driving them both to the ground.

"Why did you do it!" A freckle-smattered face rose before him, teeth bared in a snarl, eyes blazing with a level of hatred that sucked the air from his lungs.

"Do  _what_? What the h-"

"You threw me off the damn mountain!" Rey's voice was ragged, "you tried to kill me!"

"What!" Kylo shook his head, holding her wrists as she began to push back off from him, "no, Rey. I  _saved_ you."

"Saved me?" voice pitching with disbelief, she twisted herself from his grasp and staggered back to her feet. "It was  _you_ who shoved me over the ledge!"

"No. It was Ventar Ren," regaining his own footing, Kylo stepped towards her, palms held placatingly before him, "don't you remember? I pushed myself through the Force bond -"

"That's ridiculous," she hissed, "no one can do that."

"That's what I thought too," he stepped closer, voice calmer than he felt, "but then I felt your panic through the -"

"I'm not listening to this." Rey held up a silencing hand, "I'm not listening to your lies. I know what I saw."

"A man in a mask." Kylo stopped, jaw working as he sought the right words. "Isn't that right? You saw someone wearing my mask."

Rey hesitated, brow furrowing as she held her tongue in silence.

"Tell me, Rey, tell me how I could have carried a helmet around without you noticing? How could I have got ahead of you on the path?" He paused, studying her unflinching expression. "The last time I had that damn mask in my possession, I stepped over it. After smashing it to pieces. Someone else has obviously retrieved it -"

"No." Shaking her head, Rey stepped back, "no, I saw  _you_ , Kylo. I -"

"Who saved you, then!" Anger sharpened his words to barbs, "tell me that, Rey. Who saved you?"

"I don't…" sagging, Rey scrubbed a hand over her face, "I don't remember."

"You don't remember the Knight who wore my mask? Who would have killed you had I not taken back my saber and struck him down first? Do you truly remember none of these things?"

"No. You're lying." Lips pressed in a grim line, Rey folded her arms across her chest and levelled Kylo with a glare. "None of that happened."

"How would you…" Frustrated by the girl's unwavering resolve, Kylo threw his hands into the air and turned away. "Fine. Believe what you will. I'm done."

Rey stared after Kylo as he stalked the edges of their confinement. She could all but feel the anger rolling off him, though he surprised her by keeping it under check. Mostly. The fierce set of his jaw and manner in which he kept his fists tightly furled at his sides was an indication of the tumultuous emotions she'd become all too familiar with.

There was, she had to admit quietly to herself, a few gaps in her memory between being thrown off the cliff and waking on a bed of broken rocks. Actually, it was almost all one solid static gap… Except for the memory of the man who had towered over her before pushing her over the edge. He wore Kylo Ren's mask. That much was clear.

But, she silently conceded, that was the  _only_ thing that was clear. And even then… Kylo had made a good point. Or two.

"I think we've fallen into a tunnel."

She startled as his voice broke her thoughts and raised her head from the crook of her arm with the realisation she'd been drifting to sleep. For a moment she had to gather her energy to move, the adrenalin of earlier having worn off so that now she could feel the aches and pains of the fall and a throbbing in her ankle that held the promise of some kind of mild injury.

"Great," favouring her left leg, Rey pushed herself to her feet and waited for him to speak again so she could gauge his direction. "Kylo?"

As the echo of her call faded, a deep blanketing silence settled in its place. "Kylo?"

There was no edge of concern to her voice, she assured herself. She couldn't care less if he'd managed to stumble into a pit, never to be seen again. She just wanted her lightsaber back. He clearly had it on him, since it was nowhere to be found upon her own person.

"Kylo, if you've left me here weaponless…" Rey paused, remembering she'd done that exact same thing to him not so long ago. "Well, it's probably poetic justice, but that's not the point!"

It seared her ankle to put weight on it; she was surprised she hadn't felt it sooner. Determined to ignore the pain, she hobbled across the cavern floor, taking care to avoid the larger chunks of rubble that thankfully hadn't landed atop of her in the explosion.

The explosion. For a moment her mind touched upon a fragment of memory. A glimpse that passed too quickly - but not before she had the sense of Kylo Ren standing between herself, and a figure who wore his mask.

Just as he had insisted.

"Happabore dung," she muttered, half-tripping on a rock and wishing she had her bo-staff for support.

A clatter of rubble drew her attention towards a dark section of cavern as yet untouched by the slowly tracking sun. She edged closer, confidence knocked by the fact that she could barely bear her own weight.

"Kylo?"

It struck her that the tunnel - if they were indeed in one - could be a travel corridor created by a sandborer. And if that were the case, who knew what might still inhabit it?

A cry of rage rose suddenly from within the gloom, reverberating off the cavern walls. Definitely not a sandborer, she thought with relief, stepping deeper into the shadows.

"Pass me my lightsaber," Kylo stepped out in front of her, tangles of sweat-soaked hair half-covering his face and dirt smeared across his scarred cheek. "Please," he added after a beat.

Rey snorted, "you must be joking."

"Can we get past the distrust already?" he snapped. "I could have taken it any ti-"

"I don't have it!" heat rushed to Rey's cheeks as her own anger flared. "You must know I don't have your lightsaber, because  _you_ have both of them!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You have…" She paused, thrown by his bafflement. "Are we not speaking the same language?"

"I'm not sure," Kylo said tersely. "You were just telling me I have my lightsaber. When clearly, I just asked  _you_ for it." He bit his lip as frustration began to mount in his voice. "Either  _you're_ lying, or -"

"Neither of us have the lightsabers." Rey finished.

Kylo looked over Rey's head to the mess of rubble in the cavern beyond. She turned and followed his gaze.

"We were holding our sabers when the torpedo dumped us into this hole." he stepped beyond her and began scanning the ground, "they have to be here somewhere."

Silently they began working over the cavern floor, sure that at any moment an upturned rock would expose the familiar reassurance of a hilt.

"I don't remember a torpedo," Rey muttered finally, wincing as she tried to hide her awkward hobble.

"Seems you don't remember a lot of things about recent events," Kylo retorted, assessing her limp with a critical eye before turning away.

Kicking out at a rock, Rey bit back a frustrated cry when it only served to send a spasm of pain through her ankle. "Refresh my memory then!"

In a few quick strides, Kylo was at her side and swinging her towards him; hands gripping her shoulders, half-holding her off her feet. "Is that what you'd like me to do? Reach into your head and rifle through your mind?"

Releasing his grip with one hand, he held his palm a finger's breadth from her cheek. As he had on Starkiller Base, Rey realised in startlement.

"Only if you'd like me to reach back!" she seethed in sudden fury; heart racing in anticipation of pain and humiliation once more.

Kylo tilted his head, considering her words as his gaze searched her face. "Alright." Sweeping rubble to one side with his boot, he released her and folded himself cross-legged upon the ground, then motioned for her to follow suit.

"Are you kidding?"

"You seem to over-estimate my sense of humor." He said dryly, nodding towards the space before him once more.

Gingerly Rey settled herself upon the floor, left foot outstretched as tucking it under her right knee was definitely out of the question.

"Why don't you use the Force to heal yourself?" he asked suddenly, watching her awkward efforts.

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed, "the Force doesn't work that way."

He gave her a deadpan stare that made her rethink her words. "Does it?"

"You need a teacher." It was a statement. Not an offer. The difference suddenly reminded her of how much their dynamic had changed.

"Teach me how to fix my ankle with the Force and you'll make a willing student of me," she shrugged, "for one lesson, at least."

"Healing's not a part of my skill set."

"Of course not. You only know how to destroy."

For a moment she expected some kind of backlash, and waited unblinking for Kylo to prove her point. But he held her gaze steady - but for a muscle twitch beneath his eye - and worked his jaw in silence. No doubt in an effort to hold back all the possible retorts.

"You're right." He said finally. Expression carefully blank. "Now, do you want me to help you to regain your memory, or not? Because we still have our lightsabers to find."

"How will you…" Rey trailed off, apprehensive.

Huffing with impatience, Kylo leant in towards her and held his hand alongside her head. "It was your anger that allowed you to get inside my head before. Use it now."

She couldn't think to protest. In a heartbeat it was as if he were prising open her skull and flaying her mind wide open. Rage and indignation surged against the invasion, pushing back against the strange entity she could feel inside her head. Pushing back until she felt his own barriers start to buckle and slide.

"It hurts me too, Rey." Kylo said through clenched teeth. "The more we resist, the worse…"

Anger broiled through her at his words. He had no idea how it felt to have someone scoop through his head. She pushed back with a snarl, until the burst of effort suddenly propelled her beyond his own constraints. So that she could see…

*

" _Foolish boy!" A gnarled hand lashes out, striking Kylo across the head and sending him flying to the ground with preternatural strength. "Worthless cur!"_

_Rubbing his jaw, a young Kylo kneels before his Master, hot tears of shame and anger striking his eyes. He opens his mouth to explain himself, but -_

" _Don't waste your time offering mewling platitudes," his Master sneers. "I can see your every thought! I know you long to see them again. You think to leave me. You think to try and -"_

" _No! No I -"_

" _Silence!" The hand snakes out again. Squeezing. Squeezing until his brain feels pushed through a sieve._

_*_

"Stop!" Rey cried, holding her hands to Kylo's own, in effort to push him away. "I don't want to see this! I can't bear it."

"You don't want to see that I was human once?" Kylo gritted his teeth. "You're right. That's not what we're here for."

*

_Fisting his hand into the cloth, Kylo ignores the question of how this is happening and pulls. An arm shoots out towards him from the darkness; a slender hand clasps his forearm as if he's the one last lifeline on offer._

_His throat tightens at the realisation that he is. And that for once he can do the right thing without fear of Snoke's retribution. He stares into the abyss, seeing not just the girl, but the possibilities. The choices that now open to him. He need follow no one's rule but his own._

" _What are you doing?"_

_The modulated voice at his back sends a surge of anger through him. The girl's eyes widen as she recognises the figure at his back. He holds her steady for a moment longer before turning to confront the one who has long strived to become something above his station._

" _Ventar. I'm so glad you located me." His body tenses in effort to press back the rage that churns through his bloodstream, to see the Knight wearing his own mask. The mask he had destroyed and abandoned. The mask now repaired. And clumsily, at that._

_With the smallest reach of the Force, he sees the Knight's thoughts as clear as if they are his own. This pathetic creature thinks to kill him. And the girl. Rage stirs within him then. He'll show the traitor -_

_*_

"Enough!" With a wrench Rey freed herself of Kylo's conscience. Her head seemed to pulse with the pain of being pulled inside his own. She clasped a hand to her temple, as if to check it was still intact, and wiped clear a sheen of sweat.

"I told you. I feel it too," Kylo's words were ragged, "but with practice you'll learn to control the pain. To use it, if you must."

"I  _won't_." Tears seared her eyes. She batted them angrily away. "I won't use the Force like that again."

"There may come a time when you'll need to."

The wretchedness in Kylo's voice startled her. She glanced up and saw his expression mirrored the way she felt. Exhaustion shadowed his eyes. Pain narrowed them. The scar that bisected his face seemed to stand out against the pale pallor of his skin. She twisted her hands into the folds of cloth at her lap; determined not to reach out to touch his face. As something primal within her screamed she should.

"Do you believe me now?" His jaw clenched with effort to hold something of himself back, before he added in a quiet rush, "please say you believe me."

She did reach out then. A hand upon his own as it rested on his knee. A chaste connection that offered reassurance but gave no promise. The leather of his glove separated them, and she swept a finger beneath the edge of his sleeve, to touch the skin at his wrist with a tentative fingertip. His breath hitched at the connection, and she felt her own lungs contract in response. How so little a touch could affect them, she realised in wonderment.

It wasn't just about believing him, she realised. It was about trusting him. And more importantly; trusting herself. Right now she felt compromised. It was not enough to see half the story. She needed to know how the rest of the tale played out. And with her memory impared, there was only one way to do that.

"I need to see what happened next."

She felt Kylo's hand tighten beneath her palm.

"Alright." He said with a measure of resolve.

This time, she pushed herself into his mind without any resistance.

This time, as she followed the thread of his memory through recent events, she found the picture had altered. For the both of them.

And in this changed landscape of Kylo's mind, she found Ventar Ren was still very much alive.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't mean to woobify anyone, but damnit, I like a good dose of vulnerability in my favourite characters. And sweat. And effort. And fatigue. Maybe this whole wumptober thing has gotten to me a little. Sheesh. And I haven't even gotten to the part where Kylo bridle-carries Rey again, yet. (Maybe that'll be a bit much. Will that be a bit much? This is the modern age, after all. Perhaps she should be carrying him.)


	8. Chapter 8

 

 

_The boom of a starfighter punching into the stratosphere causes Ventar Ren's attention to shift towards the sky._

_Taking advantage of the distraction, Kylo snaps his hand towards Rey, calling his saber to his palm and thrusting it towards the Knight's stomach. But Ventar Ren catches the movement in his peripheral and spins out of reach; flicking his vibroblade from one hand to the other and back again. An invitation. A challenge. Even as he steps away to place several feet between them in the process._

_Kylo squares his jaw and glances to the sky. In a moment, the starfighter will have them in range. His senses tell him if they don't move_ now _, the pilot won't miss. Throwing out his hand, he uses the Force to hold the Knight in place. The desire to step forward and finish him off is strong, but..._

_"Come on." Turning away, he grabs Rey's arm and half-tows her behind him; using the crimson light of his crackling blade to pick out a path between tumbled rocks, towards the deep dark cleft of a cliff-face._

_"What are you… Let me go!" Wrenching her arm away, Rey stops in her tracks._

_"Why are you stopping? There's no place for them in this story." The words snap from Kylo's mouth like a whip. Hot and furious. He can't keep a lid on it; can't help himself. This is Snoke's throne room all over again. "Only you and me."_

_It's futile. Trying to convince her. He can tell by the way she hovers on her back foot. Saber still ignited. Ready to turn and run in an instant._

_"Do you not realise by now that I care for you?" It hurts him to say the words aloud almost as much as it hurts to realise he isn't saying them just to appease her. "Please, Rey. I know you have no reason to trust me…"_

_"I do." She says quickly, glancing to the sky behind him and extinguishing her blade. "I do trust you."_

_Kylo stares. Uncomprehending. "You do?"_

_*_

"No!"

Kylo winced in sudden searing pain as Rey wrenched herself from his mind. He blinked in confusion at the flash of anger contorting her face.

"That's not how it happened!"

"You're right," he said slowly, blinking in confusion, "I  _killed_ Ventar Ren."

"You did not tell me you  _care_ for me. I did  _not_ say that I trust you." Rey stopped, speechless for a moment as she sought to rally her thoughts. "None of  _that_ happened!"

"But it did," Kylo said quietly. Steadily. "That's exactly what happened. Except for the part where Ventar Ren lived."

"Then tell me how it's possible for a memory to change? How can you just… pick and choose what's real, and what's not?"

"Rey…" Kylo hesitated, troubled by the point she made. His eyes narrowed as he tried again. "I'm not sure how to explain this. I just know that…" There were words - important words - hovering on the edge of his tongue. He just couldn't get them to form. " I don't know how to…"

"Go into  _my_ memories." She demanded suddenly, interrupting his splutterings.

"What?"

"It's the only way to know for sure." Pulling herself up straight, Rey gritted her teeth in a way that implied she was steeling herself. "You have to go into my head."

"You know that it hurts," he said quietly, "and I can't spare you from that."

Rey nodded. Resolute. "Just do it."

Shrugging, Kylo reached out his hand; fingertips brushing her jawline and causing a sharp inhalation at the contact. "I'm sorry," he murmured, skimming her hairline and moving his palm to hover above her temple.

He pressed his mind against hers, striving to be gentle about the intrusion. Knowing it wouldn't be.

*

_A hooded figure looms before her, causing her to step back in surprise. Back. Into nothing but empty air._

_Darkness rises. She feels her stomach plummet first before the rest of her body follows. She screams. Uselessly. And then…_

_She stands before Kylo. His hand upon her arm. Grip fierce as the ground explodes around them. "Come on!"_

_"What are you… Let me go!" Wrenching her arm away, Rey stops, recognising the sound of an X-wing shredding a path across the sky._

_"Your friend's shooting at us!"_

_Kylo grabs her hand again, tugging her along as if expecting her to follow._

_"Of course he is! He thinks I've joined you!" She digs her feet into the ground in an effort to pull against him. But he's so much stronger than her…_

_*_

"Wrong!" This time it was Kylo's turn to wrench away from their connection. "This… This is all wrong!"

Leaping to his feet, he paced the cavern floor, fists balled at his sides, "I didn't force you to… Why is this happening! Why is the Force doing this!"

"So the Force… The  _Force_ is the one lying now?" Rey's voice pitched in disbelief as she watched him stalk. "Do you have any idea how crazy you sound?"

Her head seared as she pushed clumsily to her feet and she winced against the sharp beam of sunlight that suddenly seemed too intense. Sweat ran down her spine to pool at the small of her back. It was a wonder Kylo had handled her intrusions into his mind, but she supposed he had become accustomed to it, given his training. She certainly couldn't make a habit of mental cohabitation.

"Anyway," she began blearily, pressing her knuckles to her eyes, "what gives you the right to determine my memory false, and yours correct?"

Silence met her. She looked up to find Kylo standing in the center of the cavern; his face etched in such a wretched combination of bewilderment and fury, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to step toward him, or away.

"What matters is whether or not Ventar Ren is still alive," he said at last. "I didn't see a resolution to that in your memories. Maybe if I try aga -"

"No," Rey backed up as Kylo stepped towards her, "that's not happening again."

"He's dangerous, Rey," he pressed. "If Ventar gets away, he'll go straight to the General of my army and tell them I'm a traitor to the First Order. It'll be all the ammunition Hux will need to overthrow -"

Rey scoffed. "If you're trying to appeal to my sense of compassion, you're really not getting anywhere."

She watched as Kylo gritted his teeth; his facial muscles working in an effort to keep himself in check. "Stop for a moment, and remember why we're here."

"Why  _we're_ here?" she repeated, dumbfounded. "We came here on two separate missions; to find a weapon that will stop some ancient Emperor from returning to rule us all. Last time I checked, neither one of us is actually planning on conceding the weapon to the other once we find it. "

Kylo stared; gaze dark and unwavering. "Concession won't be an issue if we work to stop him together."

Rey chewed her bottom lip and considered her next words carefully. "Thing is, I still don't know if you're planning to stop this Palpatine or join forces with him. So please excuse me while I rejoice at the idea of the First Order falling apart in the meantime."

"Is that what you think? That the First Order will fall should Hux rise against me?" Kylo laughed darkly. "Hux is the one who brought about the destruction of the Hosnian System! He'll stop at nothing to achieve absolute domination. Without my rule, there will be  _no one_  to keep that creature on a leash."

Bone-weary, Rey lowered herself to the ground and sank her head into her hands. "I can't do this," she muttered, "I can't let you in."

"Please, Rey," movement stirred the air as Kylo knelt before her, "let me try again. Ventar has some small skill in mind manipulation; if he's worked on refining it, it could explain why our memories don't match."

"How do you expect to distinguish true memory from false?" she looked up to meet Kylo's eyes; rich and brown and earnest in a way that made her jerk her head to avoid his gaze. "How can you expect me to trust you?"

"I can't," he said simply. "I can't truly know which memory is right or wrong. I can't expect you to trust me."

She bristled, confused to hear honestly where she'd expected hollow supplication.

"I have an idea of how Ventar thinks. And I believe he wanted me to think him dead so I wouldn't pursue him. That's why he manipulated my memory of his escape."

It made sense, Rey thought. "Okay."

"He tampered with your memories because he wanted you to believe I was forcing you to follow me against your will. To create confusion - and a diversion."

"Why?" Rey studied Kylo's face, sure she'd recognise signs of a lie if he told one. "Why would he bother?"

"Because he knows that if we work together, we'll become a greater power than anything the galaxy has ever seen." Raising his finger to Rey's lips to quell a protest, he continued. "Together, we could destroy all of our adversaries."

"So you'd use me to stamp out any resistance to your Order and -"

"No!" Frustrated, Kylo rocked back on his heels. "We could bring down the First Order! We could destroy Palpatine! Don't you see? I have no wish to control the galaxy, Rey. What use is absolute domination, if it means..."

Clamping his mouth shut on his words, Kylo looked away. Jaw working in an effort to rearrange his argument.

"Look," he continued, wearily, "my reason for believing he manipulated our memories is sound. He's blocked your memory of his survival, but I bet you if I prise a little deeper-"

I  _can't_ ," Rey insisted, "I can't let you do that again. The pain…"

"I understand," gazing into the mid-distance, Kylo arched a brow; expression thoughtful, "and I think I have another solution. In the midst of untangling memories, we've overlooked the fact that our lightsabers are still missing."

"Well, they're in here somewhere," Rey began.

"No. They're not." Standing, Kylo reached out a hand to pull Rey up. "Let's lift these rocks, and I'll show you."

Rey blinked at the outstretched hand. For a moment she stared, undecided, before sliding her fingers against his own and allowing him to pull her to her feet. She hobbled for a moment, caught off-guard by the ankle-sprain, and when he caught her with one hand to her waist she gasped at the strength in his palms. The warmth that seemed to flow from them before he released her again.

"Righto," she brushed gravel from her hands and stared at the rubble that littered the great gaping pit they'd fallen into. Kylo was right, they'd only got partway into their search and at this rate, it would be nightfall again before they ever got out of this damn cavern. "Righto," she repeated, leaning down to turn a rock over with her hands.

"Not like that."

The fingertips that grazed her shoulder stilled her. A hot flush of embarrassment built at the back of her neck as she realised he meant for them to use the Force to lift the damned rocks. She glanced up to see him staring at her with a look of bemusement that transformed his features into someone she didn't quite recognise.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile." She said suddenly.

"Huh," with a press of his lips he smoothed out his expression. "Better?"

"Probably," she sighed. A smiling Kylo was dangerous. A smiling Kylo was soft and boyish and beguilingly kind. A smiling Kylo was less the notorious  _Kylo Ren_  and more the Ben Solo she once pretended him to be. Which was ridiculous really, when she'd never known him as Ben Solo in the first place.

"Have you done this before?"

The sudden question confused her. As did the hollowness she felt as his hand lifted from her shoulder and returned to his side. "Done…?"

By way of answer, he turned towards the center of the cavern and held out his hand, palm open before him and fingers outstretched. Slowly the rubble began to lift from the ground.

"Right. Of course." Not to be left behind, Rey followed suite. A second wave of rocks lifted as she called the Force to her and added her efforts to Kylo's own.

The floor was clear.

"Our sabers are gone!" Stepping forward, Rey started to walk amidst the suspended rocks, hoping to find their weapons had also become airborne.

"Not gone."

Kylo's words stilted her. She turned, brow raised in question. A clatter resounded as the lapse in her attention sent half the debris crashing back to the ground; a dust cloud rising with a poof from the impact.

"Stolen." Lowering his arm, Kylo settled the rocks carefully back into place. "See? Ventar Ren fooled us both. And now he has our weapons."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really want to end this chapter on some kind of *dramatic* statement, but I figured I could either break off there and head on to my next bit with a fresh slate, or spend another week or two trying to coax more words from my brain. I feel punching the chapters out sooner rather than later is the winning decision - nearly time for TROS, after all, and by then there's bound to be a new wave of fic ideas to deal with. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments! Personally, I found the characterisation weak, the dialogue weaker, Kylo too soft, and the whole "Ventar messed with our heads" idea flawed with holes, but... Meh. It is what it is. Writing (ie, absolute escapism) has become my best coping mechanism after losing my mum a few weeks ago, so I'm just gonna plod through it anyway. (Please excuse my disclosure - an after work G&T has also become my part of my coping regime. Makes me blather on a bit.)
> 
> PS: If there are missing S's, it's because the S key is malfunctioning. I blame letting my kids use my laptop with food hands. I think I'm beginning to lose the Y, P and M keys too...


End file.
